Founders Brewing Company

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Visited in the fall, parking situation was kind of a pain. The outdoor area out front was awesome, love the fire pits real nice on a chilly day. Taproom was really hopping, good draft selection and I'm always impressed with their quality. Easy growler fills and had some decent togo options. Solid place.

Rolled into Grand Rapids on the Saturday before Easter, just before 2. I figured we'd stop at Founders first since we had an hour before check-in and no one had had lunch yet. I thought that being a cold, rainy weekend and being a little after typical lunch time it'd be slow. Wrong. Every table was full, including a few outside on the porch under the infrared heaters. (Founders' building is a gorgeous rust brick-and cement building, with metal accents such as a fire pit on the porch area). It's a seat yourself situation, so you kind of have to be aggressive in finding a table.
Once seated, you'll find you don't necessarily have a dedicated server, multiple servers seem to cover an area of the pub. So we had one server take drink orders and bring them back, another took a food order, and another bussed. It seemed to work, and everyone was friendly and efficient. Deli was excellent, great Cuban sandwich, with options for French bread pizza and salads and appetizers. While there's no kid's menu, there should be no problem finding something they'd like. Tons of taps, 28 going when we were there including the current KBS and past 2 years, Doom, DKML, and 12 pub-only brews.
I'd definitely visit again, but try to make sure I hit a slower time. I'd hate to see what the seating looks like during a really busy time.

Founders is an annual pilgrimage for my wife and I. Unlike some other popular breweries (I'm looking at you, 3 Floyds and Dark Horse), Founders has made significant investments in recent years to expand the size of their flagship tap room. And they need it. Business is brisk from the time they open until the time they close, any day of the week. If I have one criticism, it's that their lone parking lot is way too small, and thus parking is always a challenge, even on weekdays.

Aside from that, and assuming you can find a seat inside or on the extensive patio outside, you're in for a treat. Usually there are at least 20 beers on tap, including some that are exclusive to the tap room. The quality speaks for itself. Prices, in our opinion, are very reasonable. For service you basically order from whoever walks by your table. That takes a little getting used to, but we found it to be quite efficient. Founders also has a decent food menu if you feel like eating.

Founders is proof that expanding and maintaining a high level of quality don't have to be mutually exclusive. We love them as a business, a destination...and of course, a brewery.